Home Help: Get the most out of your floral arrangements

Wednesday

Apr 23, 2008 at 12:01 AMApr 23, 2008 at 11:11 PM

Flower tips, garden tips, how to clean your pillow and more.

How To Maximize Your Enjoyment of Fresh Flowers, Part I

It's easy to enhance your flowers' unique personality by creating an arrangement based on one of four basic styles. The nature of your flower's stem and blossom, as well as your choice of container, will guide you in choosing the right one. Here are some tips from Martha Stewart and the professionals at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM:

- Domed arrangements display the blooms in an arching bunch. Mass them tightly together, crossing the stems within the vase to allow the flowers to point in every direction, creating a delightful dome of rich color. This arrangement is ideal for gerbera daisies, chrysanthemums and carnations.

- Spiky arrangements are best for long flowers with stiff, vertical stems, such as sunflowers, irises, French tulips and Oriental lilies. Create a dramatic effect by arranging them in a tall, cylindrical vase that holds them upright. This keeps a big display from looking too sparse.

- Free-form arrangements allow flowers to reach and bend naturally. Cut the flowers at various lengths for a more organic look. Try combining flowers with sprigs of foliage in a relaxed cascade of color. This arrangement is ideal for tulips, roses, and freesia.

- Display arrangements in groups for a charming and spontaneous look. Use several small arrangements to create a single centerpiece by running them in a row down the length of a table. Any flower looks great in a grouped arrangement, from those with larger blooms such as Oriental lilies, roses, and dahlias, to smaller blossoms such as freesia, spray roses and nerines. (ARA)

Home Improvements

Question: I am considering reupholstering my dining room chairs. I would like to choose leather but am not sure if it is going to be too costly. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: Actually, I love the look of leather. But if cost is a concern, you should definitely check out the new faux leathers available. I have some samples, and I don’t think anyone could tell the difference if they didn’t know. Faux leathers have come a long way, and they are available in all colors and types. The cost will be much less, and cleaning them is as easy as wiping them with a damp sponge. This is great if you have children or a sloppy spouse. (Linda Brigida/CNC)

Did You Know …

If you have a pillow that contains synthetic filling, it’s probably easier to clean than you think – generally you can simply run it through your washing machine and dryer. Check your pillow tag for any cleaning restrictions, but otherwise, follow these steps:

- Wash the pillow by itself – it needs the extra space.

- Wash in cold water with a mild laundry detergent on a gentle cycle.

- Dry on low heat, and if possible, place clean shoes or tennis balls (or something similar) in the dryer with the pillow to help it stay fluffy.

Know Your Garden Nemeses

James Messina of Messina Wildlife Management offers the following tips about some of the critters you might find munching on your prized plants and landscapes this summer:

- Groundhogs damage your landscape in two ways. First, they eat vegetables in the garden, attacking both the root crops and above-ground crops. Second, their relentless tunneling causes mass disruption of root systems, weakening and can even killing plant life.

- Rabbits don't just dine on clover and grass, although those greens make up 90 percent of their diets. They also damage woody plants in your landscape. Feeding at night or in the early morning, their damage is usually no higher than 2 1/2 feet above the ground.

- Deer can cause major damage to plants and vegetable gardens. To determine if your flowers and vegetables are disappearing due to deer damage, look closely at the half-eaten plants. If you see a jagged, rough edge, you can be sure the damage was done by deer as they have no incisor teeth and tear at the food source, leaving tell-tale signs of their presence.

- Squirrels and chipmunks are burrowing animals. Usually, they feed on green leafy material during the summer and switch to seeds and grains during the fall and winter. They also love bird feeders and have a reputation for driving away the birds you put the feeder out to attract. (ARA)

Backyard Buddies

Many bird-watching purists detest European starlings, but the birds can be quite entertaining as part of your feeder-watching. Some fun facts about starlings:

- European starlings came to the U.S. in the 1890s when a group released 100 of them in New York’s Central Park as part of a project to introduce Americans to every bird mentioned in Shakespeare’s works.

- Starlings have a bad reputation because they’re a non-native species, but also because they are thought to displace numerous native birds. However, according to a 2003 study, the starling effect is very minimal.

- Starlings have adapted well to almost every facet of American life, and they now are essentially omnivores. They do prefer seeds, berries, apples and cherries, however.

- Starlings have been known to imbed sounds from their surroundings into their calls, including car alarms and human speech.

GateHouse News Service

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